Survey highlights knowledge gaps among cat owners

A new online survey of almost 2,000 cat owners has highlighted the fact 43% of cats in the UK and Ireland have not seen a vet within the past year.

The survey, which was conducted by Royal Canin, also revealed the main reason owners didn’t take their cat to the vet more often was because their pet appeared to be healthy, and, therefore, didn’t need medical attention.

Owners

John O’Connor, vet and corporate affairs director at Royal Canin, said: “Feline patients often only show clinical signs when a disease has reached an advanced stage – renal disease, for example.

“Encouraging owners to take their cats for regular vet check-ups can allow for an earlier detection of health issues, and, therefore, a better management of these. Preventive veterinary fees are also likely to be more affordable for pet owners than treating the illness once it has become more serious.”

Barriers

The second biggest barrier to more regular vet visits was cost. Although almost half of the cat owners surveyed had pet insurance, almost a quarter said cost prevented them from taking their cat to the vet more often.

Despite there being 760 cat-friendly clinics across the UK and Ireland, which are specially designed to reduce the stress for cats during visits to the vet, 13% of owners said the stress put them off making more frequent trips to the vet.

Overweight

If they were unable to take their cat to the vet, 40% said they would arrange for a vet home visit, 29% said they would search for information online, and 26% would turn to friends and family for advice.

More than a quarter of owners surveyed were unaware their cat was overweight, with only 11% of owners believing that their cat was overweight.

Information

To find more information on cat-friendly clinic accreditation, visit the Cat Friendly Clinic website, which is a run by the charity International Cat Care.

• Royal Canin surveyed 1,979 cat owners aged over 18 years old living in the UK and Ireland in December 2019.